Semi-automatic hoisting control method and system for tower crane

Abstract

The invention discloses a semi-automatic hoisting control method and system for a tower crane, and belongs to the technical field of tower crane control. The method comprises the following steps: a tower crane controller of a working tower crane establishes pairing of the working tower crane with a first remote controller and a second remote controller respectively; the first remote controller sends a cargo hooking control signal to control the working tower crane to mount and hook the cargo at the delivery point, or sends a cargo mounting control signal to control the working tower crane to mount the cargo and then sends a confirmation signal that the cargo can be hooked, so that the tower crane controller controls the working tower crane to hook the cargo; after hook lifting is completed, the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the delivery point and the receiving point; and when the goods reach the position above the goods receiving point, the second remote controller sends a goods hook falling control signal to control the working tower crane to complete goods hook falling. The first remote controller, the second remote controller and the tower crane controller are matched to control the working tower crane to execute the hoisting task, unmanned driving of the working tower crane is achieved, and the operation efficiency of the hoisting process is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of tower crane control, and in particular to a tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control method and a tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system. Background Art

[0002] Tower cranes (abbreviated as tower cranes) are lifting tools commonly used on construction sites. In the traditional manually operated tower crane lifting scheme, a tower crane operation requires a tower crane driver, a commander and a rigger to work together to complete the operation. When working at multiple levels, a tower crane driver, two commanders and two riggers must be equipped, and five people are required to work together to complete the operation. This tower crane scheme based on manual operation has the disadvantages of prone safety accidents for tower crane drivers, high labor costs and low lifting efficiency. In order to avoid personnel working at high altitudes, a lifting scheme that uses a remote control under the tower to operate the tower crane has gradually emerged. At this time, the tower crane driver does not need to go up the tower, but the field of view under the tower is not as wide as that on the tower, and the operating efficiency is low. It can be seen that how to achieve unmanned control of tower cranes is a technical difficulty that needs to be overcome urgently. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control method and a tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system, so as to overcome the defect of low operating efficiency of the unmanned hoisting scheme of operating the tower crane on the ground using a remote control in the prior art.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the first aspect of the present application provides a tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control method, which is applied to a tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system, wherein the system comprises a first remote controller for shipping, a second remote controller for receiving, and a tower crane controller of a working tower crane, and the method comprises:

[0005] The first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively initiate pairing requests with the working tower crane;

[0006] In response to the pairing request, the tower crane controller establishes pairings between the working tower crane and the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively;

[0007] The first remote controller sends a cargo hooking control signal to control the working tower crane to mount and hook the cargo at the delivery point; or, the first remote controller sends a cargo mounting control signal to control the working tower crane to mount the cargo at the delivery point, and then sends a confirmation signal that the cargo can be hooked, so that the tower crane controller controls the working tower crane to hook the cargo at the delivery point;

[0008] After the cargo is unhooked, the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to operate unmanned between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information;

[0009] When the cargo arrives above the receiving point, the second remote controller sends a cargo hook drop control signal to control the working tower crane to complete cargo hook drop.

[0010] Optionally, the system further includes a server, and the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively initiate pairing requests with the working tower crane, including:

[0011] The first remote controller sends a shipping signal including shipping point location information to the server;

[0012] The second remote controller sends a delivery signal including the location information of the delivery point to the server;

[0013] The server dispatches a working tower crane according to the preset tower dispatching rules based on the location information of the shipping point, the location information of the receiving point and the location information of the tower cranes in the construction site tower group;

[0014] The server sends a delivery signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane and initiates a pairing request with the working tower crane;

[0015] The server sends a receiving signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane and initiates a pairing request with the working tower crane.

[0016] Optionally, the first remote control includes a first positioning device, and the second remote control includes a second positioning device, the shipping point location information is generated by the first positioning device, and the receiving point location information is generated by the second positioning device; or, the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information are generated by pre-input.

[0017] Optionally, the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information, including:

[0018] Planning a driving path according to the location information of the shipping point, the location information of the receiving point, and the obstacle information obtained in advance, and controlling the working tower crane to automatically operate between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the planned driving path;

[0019] Or, the receiving server controls the working tower crane to automatically run between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the driving path planned according to the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information and the pre-acquired obstacle information.

[0020] Optionally, a driving path is planned according to the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information, and pre-acquired obstacle information, including:

[0021] Set a prohibited area based on the position and outline of static obstacles within the working range of the working tower crane;

[0022] The target range outside the forbidden area is used as a constraint condition for driving route planning, and the driving route is planned according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information.

[0023] Optionally, taking the target range outside the forbidden area as a constraint condition for driving route planning, and planning the driving route according to the shipping point location information and the first receiving point location information, includes:

[0024] Identify the lifting height of the hook and the position and contour of the cargo through the sensor device;

[0025] The target range outside the forbidden area is used as a constraint condition for driving path planning, and the driving path is planned according to the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information, the hook lifting height, and the location and outline of the cargo.

[0026] Optionally, the tower crane controller controls the working tower crane to perform real-time obstacle avoidance through a sensor device when the tower crane is unmanned between the shipping point and the receiving point.

[0027] Optionally, the real-time obstacle avoidance by a sensor device includes:

[0028] Identify whether there are obstacles in the current path, as well as the hook lifting height, the location and outline of the cargo;

[0029] If there is an obstacle in the current path, the driving path of the working tower crane will be adjusted according to the position and outline of the obstacle, the lifting height of the hook, and the position and outline of the cargo to avoid the obstacle.

[0030] The second aspect of the present application provides a tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system, comprising:

[0031] The first remote controller for delivery is configured to initiate a pairing request with the working tower crane, and after pairing with the working tower crane is established, send a cargo hooking control signal to control the working tower crane to mount and hook the cargo at the delivery point; or, is configured to initiate a pairing request with the working tower crane, and after pairing with the working tower crane is established, send a cargo mounting control signal to control the working tower crane to mount the cargo at the delivery point, and then send a confirmation signal to the tower crane controller that the cargo can be hooked;

[0032] The second remote controller for receiving goods is configured to initiate a pairing request with the working tower crane, and after pairing with the working tower crane, when the goods arrive above the receiving point, send a goods hook drop control signal to control the working tower crane to complete the goods hook drop;

[0033] The tower crane controller of the working tower crane is configured to establish pairings between the working tower crane and the first remote control and the second remote control respectively in response to the pairing request, and automatically control the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information after the cargo is unhooked and before the cargo arrives above the receiving point; or is configured to establish pairings between the working tower crane and the first remote control and the second remote control respectively in response to the pairing request, and control the working tower crane to unhook the cargo at the shipping point after receiving the confirmation signal, and automatically control the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information after the cargo is unhooked and before the cargo arrives above the receiving point.

[0034] Optionally, the system further includes:

[0035] The server is configured to receive a shipping signal sent by a first remote controller and a receiving signal sent by a second remote controller, the shipping signal including shipping point location information, and the receiving signal including receiving point location information; and dispatch a working tower crane according to preset tower dispatching rules based on the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information and the tower crane location information in the construction site tower group; and send a shipping signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane to initiate a pairing request for pairing the first remote controller with the working tower crane; and send a receiving signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane to initiate a pairing request for pairing the second remote controller with the working tower crane.

[0036] In the above technical solution, the first remote controller, the second remote controller and the tower crane controller of the working tower crane cooperate with each other to control the working tower crane to perform the lifting task, thus realizing the unmanned operation of the working tower crane during the entire cargo lifting process. Among them, the first situation is: the control right of the tower crane during the cargo mounting and hook lifting process is controlled by the first remote controller, the control right of the tower crane during the cargo lifting process between the shipping point and the receiving point is controlled by the tower crane controller, and the control right of the tower crane during the cargo hook dropping process is controlled by the second remote controller. The second situation is: the first remote controller only controls the working tower crane to mount the cargo at the shipping point, that is, the control right of the tower crane during the cargo mounting process is controlled by the first remote controller, the control right of the tower crane during the cargo hook lifting process and the cargo lifting process between the shipping point and the receiving point is controlled by the tower crane controller, and the control right of the tower crane during the cargo hook dropping process is controlled by the second remote controller. By taking over and releasing the control of the tower crane, the reliance on the high computing power of the ground remote control or the tower crane controller is avoided. The tower crane controller, with the assistance of various sensor devices on the working tower crane, completes the control of the cargo lifting process between the shipping point and the receiving point, which is more efficient than control by a ground remote control. In addition, it is more convenient that shipping and receiving are each controlled by a remote control.

[0037] It can be seen that the above technical solution realizes efficient and convenient unmanned control of the working tower crane.

[0038] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail in the subsequent specific implementation section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following specific implementations, they are used to explain the embodiments of the present application, but do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. In the accompanying drawings:

[0040] Figure 1 A first flow chart of a tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control method according to an embodiment of the present application is schematically shown;

[0041] Figure 2 A second flow chart of a tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control method according to an embodiment of the present application is schematically shown;

[0042] Figure 3 A first component block diagram of a tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system according to an embodiment of the present application is schematically shown;

[0043] Figure 4 A second component block diagram of a tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system according to an embodiment of the present application is schematically shown;

[0044] Figure 5 A schematic diagram schematically shows a first schematic diagram of a first remote controller and a second remote controller indirectly pairing with a working tower crane using a server according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 6 A second schematic diagram schematically shows that the first remote controller and the second remote controller are indirectly paired with the working tower crane using a server according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 7 A schematic diagram schematically shows a first remote controller and a second remote controller directly controlling a working tower crane according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 8 The schematic diagram shows the operation flow chart of a working tower crane completing a semi-automatic lifting task. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the specific implementation methods described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the embodiments of the present application, and are not used to limit the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0049] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present application involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0050] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0051] Figure 1 The first flow chart of the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control method according to the embodiment of the present application is schematically shown. Figure 1 As shown, the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control method provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied to the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system, the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system includes a first remote controller for shipping, a second remote controller for receiving, and a tower crane controller of a working tower crane, and the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control method includes the following steps:

[0052] Step 100: The first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively initiate pairing requests with the working tower crane.

[0053] Step 102: In response to a pairing request with the working tower crane, the tower crane controller establishes pairings between the working tower crane and the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively.

[0054] Step 104, the first remote controller sends a cargo hooking control signal to control the working tower crane to mount and hook the cargo at the shipping point; or the first remote controller sends a cargo mounting control signal to control the working tower crane to mount the cargo at the shipping point, and then sends a confirmation signal that the cargo can be hooked to the tower crane controller, so that the tower crane controller controls the working tower crane to hook the cargo at the shipping point.

[0055] Step 106, the cargo hook is lifted, and the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to be unmanned between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information.

[0056] Step 108, when the cargo arrives above the receiving point, the second remote controller sends a cargo hook drop control signal to control the working tower crane to complete cargo hook drop.

[0057] It should be understood that in step 104, the working tower crane acts as an actuator, the working tower crane is electrically connected to a tower crane controller that uses the working tower crane as an actuator, the tower crane controller is electrically connected to a communication module for establishing a communication connection with the outside, the cargo hook lifting control signal or cargo mounting control signal sent by the first remote controller reaches the working tower crane after passing through the communication module and the tower crane controller, and the working tower crane performs relevant actions according to the cargo hook lifting control signal or cargo mounting control signal to complete the hook lifting or mounting of the cargo at the shipping point. In step 108, the cargo hook drop control signal sent by the second remote controller reaches the working tower crane after passing through the communication module and the tower crane controller, and the working tower crane performs relevant actions according to the cargo hook drop control signal to complete the hook drop of the cargo at the receiving point.

[0058] In the above embodiments, in order to control the working tower crane to perform a complete lifting task, the first remote controller, the second remote controller and the tower crane controller of the working tower crane in the semi-automatic lifting control system of the tower crane jointly participate in the control process. In a comparative embodiment, the working tower crane is operated only by the remote controller under the tower to complete the entire cargo lifting process. The control of the working tower crane is controlled by only one remote controller, which requires a high computing power of the remote controller. In addition, in the long-distance cargo lifting process, the operation efficiency is low because the field of view under the tower is limited. In another comparative embodiment, the working tower crane is controlled only by the tower crane controller to complete the entire cargo lifting process. The control of the working tower crane is controlled by only one tower crane controller. It can be known that the tower crane controller usually lifts the cargo from the shipping point to the receiving point based on the pre-input shipping point location information and the receiving point location information, with the assistance of various sensor devices on the working tower crane. There will be situations where the working tower crane cannot be accurately located at the shipping point during the cargo hooking stage and cannot be accurately located at the receiving point during the cargo hooking stage. In addition, the control of the tower crane is only controlled by the tower crane controller, which requires a high computing power of the tower crane controller. Compared with the above two comparative embodiments, in the above embodiment of the present application, the first remote controller, the second remote controller and the tower crane controller are combined so that the working tower crane performs a semi-automatic lifting task, that is: after the tower crane controller controls the working tower crane to reach above the shipping point, the first remote controller is manually controlled to make the hook of the working tower crane accurately positioned at the shipping point, and complete the control of the cargo mounting and hook lifting process, or, the first remote controller is manually controlled to complete the cargo mounting process and send a confirmation signal to the tower crane controller after the hook mounts the cargo that the cargo can be hooked, so that the tower crane controller completes the control of the cargo hook lifting process; after the cargo is hooked, the tower crane controller controls the control right of the tower crane during the aerial operation phase of the working tower crane, and the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to be unmanned between the shipping point and the receiving point. After the cargo arrives above the receiving point, the second remote controller takes over the control right of the tower crane, and the second remote controller is manually controlled to make the hook of the working tower crane accurately positioned at the receiving point, and complete the control of the cargo hook dropping process, thereby overcoming the various defects of the above comparative embodiments, thereby realizing more accurate and efficient unmanned control of the working tower crane. At the same time, in the above embodiment of the present application, when the control of the tower crane during the cargo mounting process is controlled by the first remote control and the control of the tower crane during the cargo hook lifting process is controlled by the tower crane controller, manual control actions are reduced, labor costs are saved, and the difficulty of manual control by the operator is reduced.

[0059] Figure 2 The second flow chart of the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control method according to the embodiment of the present application is schematically shown. The tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system used in the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control method also includes a server. Figure 2 As shown, in step 100, the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively initiate pairing requests with the working tower crane, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0060] The first remote controller sends a shipping signal including shipping point location information to the server;

[0061] The second remote controller sends a delivery signal including the delivery point location information to the server;

[0062] The server dispatches a working tower crane according to the preset tower dispatching rules based on the location information of the shipping point, the location information of the receiving point and the location information of the tower cranes in the construction site tower group;

[0063] The server sends a delivery signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane and initiates a pairing request with the working tower crane;

[0064] The server sends a receiving signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane and initiates a pairing request with the working tower crane.

[0065] It should be understood that the unpairing request between the first remote controller, the second remote controller and the working tower crane is also sent by the server.

[0066] In the present application, the preset tower dispatching rule includes at least one of the shortest distance and the least obstacles on the path.

[0067] For example, in a specific embodiment, the server dispatches a working tower crane according to a preset tower dispatching rule based on the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information and the tower crane location information in the construction site tower group, specifically including the following steps:

[0068] Determine the tower crane whose operation range can cover both the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information and the tower crane location information in the construction site tower group;

[0069] If there is only one tower crane that covers both the shipping point and the receiving point, then that tower crane will be dispatched as the working tower crane;

[0070] If there are multiple tower cranes covering both the shipping point and the receiving point, then determine the tower crane in an idle state according to the working state information of the multiple tower cranes;

[0071] If there is only one tower crane in an idle state, the tower crane will be dispatched as a working tower crane;

[0072] If there are multiple tower cranes in an idle state, determine the tower crane with the shortest total spatial travel distance from the shipping point and the receiving point among the multiple tower cranes in the idle state according to the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information and the tower crane location information in the construction site tower group;

[0073] If there is only one tower crane with the shortest total distance from the shipping point and the receiving point, then that tower crane will be dispatched as the working tower crane;

[0074] If there are multiple tower cranes with the shortest total spatial travel distance from the shipping point and the receiving point, determine the tower crane with the least obstacles in the total spatial travel distance from the shipping point and the receiving point according to the position information of the multiple tower cranes, the shipping point position information and the receiving point position information;

[0075] If there is only one tower crane with the least obstacles in the total spatial distance from the delivery point and the delivery point, then this tower crane will be dispatched as the working tower crane;

[0076] If there are multiple tower cranes with the least obstacles in the total spatial travel distance from the shipping point and the receiving point, any one of the multiple tower cranes will be dispatched as the working tower crane.

[0077] In the above embodiments, the server dispatches the tower according to the preset tower dispatching rules and controls the pairing process of the first remote controller and the second remote controller with the working tower crane respectively, so as to realize the control of the cargo lifting process of the construction site tower group. In a comparative embodiment, the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively initiate pairing requests with the working tower crane, which specifically include the following steps: the first remote controller sends a shipping signal including the shipping point location information to the server; the second remote controller sends a receiving signal including the receiving point location information to the server; the server dispatches the working tower crane according to the preset tower dispatching rules based on the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information and the tower crane location information in the construction site tower group; the server sends the tower dispatching results to the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively; the first remote controller obtains the working tower crane information from the tower dispatching results, and initiates a pairing request with the working tower crane to the tower crane controller; the second remote controller obtains the working tower crane information from the tower dispatching results, and initiates a pairing request with the working tower crane to the tower crane controller. In the above-mentioned comparative embodiment, the tower crane controller directly receives the pairing request initiated by the first remote controller and the second remote controller. Different from the above-mentioned comparative embodiment, in the present application, the server controls the pairing process between the first remote controller and the working tower crane and the pairing process between the second remote controller and the working tower crane, that is, the server assumes the role of intermediary decoupling between the working tower crane and the first remote controller and the intermediary decoupling between the working tower crane and the second remote controller. The pairing control performed by the tower crane controllers of each working tower crane in the comparative embodiment is uniformly decoupled to the server, and the server performs signal relay in the pairing process. This centralized pairing control has the following advantages: 1) When there are a large number of tower cranes in the construction site tower group, the pairing request is uniformly initiated by the server, the interaction of the pairing process is simpler, and the pairing efficiency is improved; 2) The server grasps the pairing status of each working tower crane with the first remote controller and the second remote controller. By grasping the global pairing status, it is easy to expand the tower group management function.

[0078] It should be understood that in step 106, the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information can be generated by pre-input, that is, the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information are pre-input into at least one of the first remote controller, the second remote controller, the server, and the tower crane controller, and the first remote controller, the second remote controller, the server, and the tower crane controller are all informed of the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information through information interaction within the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system. The shipping point location information and the receiving point location information can also be generated by a positioning device within the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system.

[0079] For example, an external positioning device can be used to locate the position of the shipping point, and the shipping point location data obtained by positioning can be pre-input into the first remote control through an interactive interface or a communication interface, and the first remote control generates the shipping point location information based on the shipping point location data; an external positioning device can be used to locate the position of the receiving point, and the receiving point location data obtained by positioning can be pre-input into the second remote control through an interactive interface or a communication interface, and the second remote control generates the receiving point location information based on the receiving point location data.

[0080] In a preferred embodiment, the shipping point location information is generated by a first positioning device in the first remote controller, and the receiving point location information is generated by a second positioning device in the second remote controller. By positioning the shipping point location by the first positioning device in the first remote controller and positioning the receiving point location by the second positioning device in the second remote controller, real-time shipping point location information and receiving point location information can be generated. Accurate real-time positioning of the shipping point location and the receiving point location improves the accuracy of unmanned control of the working tower crane.

[0081] The first positioning device and the second positioning device may be GPS positioning devices capable of achieving precise positioning, etc. Preferably, both the first positioning device and the second positioning device are RTK positioning devices, which have higher positioning accuracy than GPS positioning devices.

[0082] For example, the first positioning device inside the first remote controller is a first RTK positioning device. To generate the shipping point location information, the operator holding the first remote controller moves to the shipping point. The first RTK positioning device sends a location positioning request to the RTK base station deployed on the construction site or to the RTK public service base station, and parses the response signal returned by the RTK base station deployed on the construction site or the RTK public service base station, thereby generating the shipping point location information, and then sending the shipping point location information. In a specific application of the present application, at the shipping point, the operator presses the "ship" button on the first remote controller, that is, sends a shipping signal including the shipping point location information. The second positioning device inside the second remote controller is a second RTK positioning device. Similarly, to generate the receiving point location information, the operator holding the second remote controller moves to the receiving point, and the second RTK positioning device sends a location positioning request to the RTK base station deployed on the construction site or to the RTK public service base station, and parses the response signal returned by the RTK base station deployed on the construction site or the RTK public service base station, thereby generating the receiving point location information, and then sending the receiving point location information. In a specific application of the present application, at the receiving point, the operator presses the "receive" button on the second remote control, which sends a receiving signal including the location information of the receiving point.

[0083] In a specific embodiment, in step 106, the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0084] The tower crane controller determines the next location point where the goods will move according to the location information of the delivery point, the location information of the receiving point, and the obstacle information returned by the sensor device in real time, so that the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to be unmanned between the delivery point and the location point;

[0085] After the cargo arrives at the next location, the tower crane controller determines the next location to which the cargo will move based on the location information of the current location of the cargo, the location information of the receiving point, and the obstacle information returned by the sensor device in real time, so that the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to be unmanned between the current location and the determined next location;

[0086] Repeat the previous step until the goods arrive above the receiving point.

[0087] In another specific embodiment, in step 106, the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0088] The tower crane controller plans the driving path according to the location information of the shipping point, the location information of the receiving point and the obstacle information obtained in advance, and controls the working tower crane to automatically run between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the planned driving path.

[0089] In another specific embodiment, in step 106, the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0090] The tower crane controller receives the driving path planned by the server according to the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information and the obstacle information obtained in advance, and controls the working tower crane to automatically run between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the driving path.

[0091] It should be understood that, as in the above embodiments, various path planning algorithms can be used when planning the driving path, and this application does not provide detailed descriptions of these path planning algorithms.

[0092] Exemplarily, planning a driving route according to the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information, and the pre-acquired obstacle information specifically includes the following steps:

[0093] Set a prohibited area based on the position and outline of static obstacles within the working range of the working tower crane;

[0094] The target range outside the set restricted area is used as a constraint condition for driving route planning, and the driving route is planned according to the location information of the shipping point and the receiving point.

[0095] For example, when the tower crane controller performs driving path planning, a polygonal area is set as a prohibited area according to the outline and position of the stationary obstacle. The outline and position of the stationary obstacle are input into the tower crane controller by manual input or automatic calibration. The stationary obstacles within the working range of the working tower crane may include one or more of trees, electric poles, buildings, signal towers, etc. The automatic calibration method may be: scanning the working range of the working tower crane by a sensor device such as a laser radar, identifying the stationary obstacles and their positions and outlines, and the sensor device such as the laser radar transmits the position and outline information of the stationary obstacles to the tower crane controller.

[0096] As in the above embodiment, the spatial area defined by the position and outline of the static obstacles within the operating range of the working tower crane is designated as a restricted area, and the restricted area is avoided during driving path planning, thereby avoiding the collision between the working tower crane and the static obstacles when unmanned, thereby improving the safety of the automatic operation of the working tower crane in the air.

[0097] Based on the above example, in a specific embodiment, when the tower crane controller controls the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the delivery point and the delivery point, it also performs real-time obstacle avoidance through a sensor device. Real-time obstacle avoidance avoids the collision of the working tower crane with obstacles in the path during unmanned driving, thereby improving the safety of the automatic operation of the working tower crane in the air and avoiding accidents. For example, the sensor device can be a laser radar, etc.

[0098] By combining spatial area entry prohibition with real-time obstacle avoidance, when the working tower crane is automatically operating in the air, it can avoid both static obstacles and obstacles that appear during the movement, thereby enhancing the safety of the working tower crane's automatic operation in the air.

[0099] As a preferred embodiment, when performing real-time obstacle avoidance, the sensor device not only identifies obstacles, but also identifies the lifting height of the hook, the position and outline of the cargo. When avoiding obstacles, the driving path of the working tower crane is adjusted in combination with the position and outline of the obstacle, the lifting height of the hook, and the position and outline of the cargo, so that the adjusted driving path can avoid obstacles more accurately, thereby improving the safety of the automatic operation of the working tower crane in the air. Specifically, the sensor device performs real-time obstacle avoidance, including the following steps:

[0100] Identify whether there are obstacles in the current path, as well as the hook lifting height, the location and outline of the cargo;

[0101] If there is an obstacle in the current path, the driving path of the working tower crane will be adjusted according to the position and outline of the obstacle, the lifting height of the hook, and the position and outline of the cargo to avoid the obstacle.

[0102] Figure 3 The first block diagram of the semi-automatic hoisting control system of a tower crane according to an embodiment of the present application is schematically shown. Figure 3 As shown, the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a first remote controller for shipping, a second remote controller for receiving, and a tower crane controller of a working tower crane, wherein:

[0103] The first remote controller is configured to initiate a pairing request with the working tower crane, and after pairing with the working tower crane is established, send a cargo hooking control signal to control the working tower crane to mount and hook the cargo at the shipping point; or, is configured to initiate a pairing request with the working tower crane, and after pairing with the working tower crane is established, send a cargo mounting control signal to control the working tower crane to mount the cargo at the shipping point, and then send a confirmation signal to the tower crane controller that the cargo can be hooked;

[0104] The second remote controller is configured to initiate a pairing request with the working tower crane, and after pairing with the working tower crane is established, when the cargo arrives above the receiving point, send a cargo hook drop control signal to control the working tower crane to complete cargo hook drop;

[0105] The tower crane controller is configured to establish pairings between the working tower crane and the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively in response to pairing requests initiated by the first remote controller and the working tower crane and a pairing request initiated by the second remote controller, and after the cargo is unhooked and before the cargo arrives above the receiving point, automatically control the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information; or, is configured to establish pairings between the working tower crane and the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively in response to pairing requests initiated by the first remote controller and the working tower crane and a pairing request initiated by the second remote controller, and after receiving a confirmation signal from the first remote controller that the cargo can be unhooked, control the working tower crane to unhook the cargo at the shipping point and after the cargo is unhooked and before the cargo arrives above the receiving point, automatically control the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information.

[0106] It is known that the tower crane controller usually communicates with the outside through a tower crane communication module electrically connected thereto, and the first remote controller and the second remote controller have built-in remote control communication modules. For example, the tower crane controller and the tower crane communication module can be arranged on a working tower crane, and the tower crane controller and the communication module constitute an edge device located on the working tower crane. The tower crane communication module and the remote control communication module can be wireless communication modules, for example, the wireless communication module can be a 4G communication module, a 5G communication module, a Lora communication module, etc., wherein the frequency of the Lora communication module can be 433MHz, etc.

[0107] Figure 4 The second block diagram of the semi-automatic hoisting control system of a tower crane according to an embodiment of the present application is schematically shown. Figure 4 As shown, the semi-automatic lifting control system of the tower crane provided in the embodiment of the present application also includes a server, which is configured to receive a shipping signal sent by a first remote control and a receiving signal sent by a second remote control, the shipping signal including shipping point location information, and the receiving signal including receiving point location information; and based on the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information and the tower crane location information in the construction site tower group, dispatching the working tower crane according to preset tower dispatching rules; and sending the shipping signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane, initiating a pairing request for pairing the first remote control with the working tower crane; and sending the receiving signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane, initiating a pairing request for pairing the second remote control with the working tower crane.

[0108] In a specific embodiment, Figure 5 As shown, the server is a cloud server, and the cloud server acts as an intermediary decoupling role. The first remote controller and the second remote controller are indirectly paired with the working tower crane through the cloud server, such as Figure 7As shown, after the first remote controller and the second remote controller are paired with the working tower crane respectively, the first remote controller directly controls the working tower crane to complete the cargo hooking process, and the second remote controller directly controls the working tower crane to complete the cargo hooking process. Figure 5 In the embodiment, the edge device located on the working tower crane, which is composed of a tower crane controller and a communication module, is wirelessly connected to the cloud server, the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively. The first remote controller and the second remote controller are wirelessly connected to the cloud server respectively. The wireless communication mode is 4G / 5G communication.

[0109] In a specific embodiment, Figure 6 As shown, the server is a local server. For example, Figure 6 In the embodiment, the edge device located on the working tower crane, which is composed of a tower crane controller and a communication module, is wirelessly connected to the local server, the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively, and the first remote controller and the second remote controller are wirelessly connected to the local server respectively, and the wireless communication mode is Lora communication.

[0110] In a specific embodiment, the tower crane controller is connected to a first local communication module and a first remote communication module, the first remote controller is built with a second local communication module and a second remote communication module, the second remote controller is built with a third local communication module and a third remote communication module, and the server includes a cloud server and a local server. Among them, the first local communication module is used to communicate with the second local communication module, the third local communication module, and the local server respectively, and the second local communication module and the third local communication module are also used to communicate with the local server respectively. The first remote communication module is used to communicate with the second remote communication module, the third remote communication module, and the cloud server respectively, and the second remote communication module and the third remote communication module are also used to communicate with the cloud server respectively.

[0111] For example, the first local communication module, the second local communication module, the third local communication module, and the local server all support the Lora communication mode, and the first remote communication module, the second remote communication module, the third remote communication module, and the cloud server all support the 4G / 5G communication mode.

[0112] As shown in the above embodiment, each component in the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system supports local and remote dual-mode communication. When the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system is applied on the construction site, the communication mode of each component in the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system can be flexibly selected according to the site conditions, thereby improving the applicability and reliability of the tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system.

[0113] In a specific embodiment, the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information are generated by pre-input.

[0114] In a specific embodiment, the first remote controller includes a first positioning device, and the second remote controller includes a second positioning device. The first positioning device generates the shipping point location information, and the second positioning device generates the receiving point location information.

[0115] On the basis of the above embodiments, the tower arm movement position of the working tower crane is also provided with a laser radar, a lifting positioning device, a rotation positioning device and a luffing positioning device. The laser radar can scan the hook and the cargo to locate the hook and the cargo. Under the premise that the shipping point position, the receiving point position, the hook position and contour, the cargo position and contour, the tower arm lifting position, the tower arm rotation position, and the tower arm luffing position are all accurately positioned, the semi-automatic lifting control system of the tower crane can achieve high-precision control of the unmanned driving process of the working tower crane.

[0116] In a specific embodiment, the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0117] The tower crane controller plans the driving path according to the location information of the delivery point, the delivery point and the obstacle information obtained in advance, and controls the working tower crane to automatically run between the delivery point and the delivery point according to the planned driving path;

[0118] Or, the receiving server plans a driving path based on the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information, and the pre-acquired obstacle information, and controls the working tower crane to automatically run between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the driving path.

[0119] In a specific embodiment, planning a driving path according to the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information, and the pre-acquired obstacle information includes:

[0120] Set a prohibited area based on the position and outline of static obstacles within the working range of the working tower crane;

[0121] The target range outside the set restricted area is used as a constraint condition for driving route planning, and the driving route is planned according to the location information of the shipping point and the receiving point.

[0122] In a specific embodiment, the target range outside the prohibited area is set as a constraint condition for driving route planning, and the driving route is planned according to the shipping point location information and the first receiving point location information, including:

[0123] Identify the lifting height of the hook and the position and contour of the cargo through the sensor device;

[0124] The target range outside the set restricted area is used as a constraint condition for driving path planning, and the driving path is planned according to the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information, the hook lifting height, and the location and outline of the cargo.

[0125] In a specific embodiment, the tower crane controller controls the working tower crane to perform real-time obstacle avoidance through a sensor device when the working tower crane is unmanned between a shipping point and a receiving point.

[0126] In a specific embodiment, real-time obstacle avoidance is performed by a sensor device, including:

[0127] Identify whether there are obstacles in the current path, as well as the hook lifting height, the location and outline of the cargo;

[0128] If there is an obstacle in the current path, the driving path of the working tower crane will be adjusted according to the position and outline of the obstacle, the lifting height of the hook, and the position and outline of the cargo to avoid the obstacle.

[0129] Figure 8 The following is a schematic diagram showing a work flow chart of a working tower crane completing a semi-automatic lifting task. The working tower crane performs a semi-automatic lifting task in four stages: the server dispatches the tower crane for dispatching and pairing, the delivery point manually controls the cargo hook, the working tower crane automatically operates in the air, and the delivery point manually controls the cargo hook drop, as follows:

[0130] Step A1, a first remote controller for delivery is located at a delivery point, and an operator sends a delivery signal to a server by pressing a "delivery" button on the first remote controller to call a hook, and a second remote controller for receiving goods is located at a receiving point, and an operator sends a receipt signal to a server by pressing a "receive" button on the second remote controller to call a hook;

[0131] Step A2: The server dispatches a working tower crane to the airspace above the delivery point according to the preset tower dispatching rules;

[0132] Step A3, the first remote controller takes over the control of the tower crane. After the rigger loads the cargo at the delivery point, the first remote controller controls the working tower crane to hook the cargo at the delivery point.

[0133] Step A4: After the cargo is lifted, the first remote controller manually controls the working tower crane to lift the cargo to a preset height and then releases the control right of the tower crane;

[0134] Step A5, the tower crane controller takes over the control of the tower crane, and the working tower crane is unmanned between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the planned driving path, avoiding the restricted area and obstacles in the path, and the geometric dimensions of each tower crane in the construction site tower group are pre-entered in the tower crane controller. If the working tower crane is automatically running, the sensor device scans that there is an idle tower crane interference in the path, and the driving path is adjusted to avoid the idle tower crane first. If it cannot be avoided by adjusting the driving path, the idle tower crane is manually moved away to avoid collision.

[0135] Step A6: When the cargo arrives above the receiving point, the tower crane controller shakes hands with the second remote controller and releases the control right of the tower crane;

[0136] Step A7, the second remote controller takes over the control of the tower crane and manually operates the working tower crane to drop the cargo onto the hook;

[0137] Step A8: After the cargo is hooked, the second remote controller raises the hook to a preset height and then releases the control of the tower crane;

[0138] Step A9: the tower crane controller takes over the control of the tower crane, and the hook moves to the designated area to wait.

[0139] Among them, in step A4, the first remote controller controls the working tower crane to lift the cargo to a preset height and then releases the control right of the tower crane, which specifically includes the following contents:

[0140] Obtain the current cargo lifting height and current cargo weight collected by the sensor device;

[0141] If the current cargo lifting height reaches the preset height and the cargo weight is in a stable state, the first remote controller releases the control of the tower crane.

[0142] It should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, commodity or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity or device. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity or device including the elements.

[0143] The above are only embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control method, characterized in that: Applied to a semi-automatic hoisting control system for a tower crane, the system includes a first remote controller for shipping, a second remote controller for receiving, and a tower crane controller of a working tower crane, and the method includes: The first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively initiate pairing requests with the working tower crane; In response to the pairing request, the tower crane controller establishes pairings between the working tower crane and the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively; The first remote controller sends a cargo hooking control signal to control the working tower crane to mount and hook the cargo at the delivery point; or, the first remote controller sends a cargo mounting control signal to control the working tower crane to mount the cargo at the delivery point, and then sends a confirmation signal that the cargo can be hooked, so that the tower crane controller controls the working tower crane to hook the cargo at the delivery point; After the cargo is unhooked, the tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to operate unmanned between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information; When the cargo arrives above the receiving point, the second remote controller sends a cargo hook drop control signal to control the working tower crane to complete cargo hook drop.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The system further includes a server, and the first remote controller and the second remote controller respectively initiate pairing requests with the working tower crane, including: The first remote controller sends a shipping signal including shipping point location information to the server; The second remote controller sends a delivery signal including the location information of the delivery point to the server; The server dispatches a working tower crane according to the preset tower dispatching rules based on the location information of the shipping point, the location information of the receiving point and the location information of the tower cranes in the construction site tower group; The server sends a delivery signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane and initiates a pairing request with the working tower crane; The server sends a receiving signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane and initiates a pairing request with the working tower crane.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first remote controller includes a first positioning device, and the second remote controller includes a second positioning device. The first positioning device generates the shipping point location information, and the second positioning device generates the receiving point location information; or, the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information are generated by pre-input.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The tower crane controller automatically controls the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information, including: Planning a driving path according to the location information of the shipping point, the location information of the receiving point, and the obstacle information obtained in advance, and controlling the working tower crane to automatically operate between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the planned driving path; Or, the receiving server controls the working tower crane to automatically run between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the driving path planned according to the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information and the pre-acquired obstacle information.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The driving path is planned based on the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information, and the pre-acquired obstacle information, including: Set a prohibited area based on the position and outline of static obstacles within the working range of the working tower crane; The target range outside the forbidden area is used as a constraint condition for driving route planning, and the driving route is planned according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The target range outside the prohibited area is used as a constraint condition for driving route planning, and the driving route is planned according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information, including: Identify the lifting height of the hook and the position and contour of the cargo through the sensor device; The target range outside the forbidden area is used as a constraint condition for driving path planning, and the driving path is planned according to the shipping point location information, the receiving point location information, the hook lifting height, and the location and outline of the cargo.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5 and 6, characterized in that: The tower crane controller controls the working tower crane to avoid obstacles in real time through the sensor device when it is unmanned between the shipping point and the receiving point.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The real-time obstacle avoidance by means of a sensor device comprises: Identify whether there are obstacles in the current path, as well as the hook lifting height, the location and outline of the cargo; If there is an obstacle in the current path, the driving path of the working tower crane will be adjusted according to the position and outline of the obstacle, the lifting height of the hook, and the position and outline of the cargo to avoid the obstacle.

9. A tower crane semi-automatic hoisting control system, characterized in that: include: The first remote controller for delivery is configured to initiate a pairing request with the working tower crane, and after pairing with the working tower crane is established, send a cargo hooking control signal to control the working tower crane to mount and hook the cargo at the delivery point; or, is configured to initiate a pairing request with the working tower crane, and after pairing with the working tower crane is established, send a cargo mounting control signal to control the working tower crane to mount the cargo at the delivery point, and then send a confirmation signal to the tower crane controller that the cargo can be hooked; The second remote controller for receiving goods is configured to initiate a pairing request with the working tower crane, and after pairing with the working tower crane, when the goods arrive above the receiving point, send a goods hook drop control signal to control the working tower crane to complete the goods hook drop; The tower crane controller of the working tower crane is configured to establish pairings between the working tower crane and the first remote control and the second remote control respectively in response to the pairing request, and automatically control the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information after the cargo is unhooked and before the cargo arrives above the receiving point; or is configured to establish pairings between the working tower crane and the first remote control and the second remote control respectively in response to the pairing request, and control the working tower crane to unhook the cargo at the shipping point after receiving the confirmation signal, and automatically control the working tower crane to perform unmanned driving between the shipping point and the receiving point according to the shipping point location information and the receiving point location information after the cargo is unhooked and before the cargo arrives above the receiving point.

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that Also includes: The server is configured to receive a shipping signal sent by the first remote controller and a receiving signal sent by the second remote controller, wherein the shipping signal includes shipping point location information, and the receiving signal includes receiving point location information; And based on the location information of the delivery point, the location information of the receiving point and the location information of the tower cranes in the construction site tower group, the working tower cranes are dispatched according to the preset tower dispatching rules; And send a delivery signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane to initiate a pairing request for pairing the first remote controller with the working tower crane; and send a receipt signal to the tower crane controller of the working tower crane to initiate a pairing request for pairing the second remote controller with the working tower crane.

Images